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State Launches New Child Care Expansion Grant Program for Providers
Indiana is providing a new grant opportunity to expand child care access for the youngest Hoosiers. The grant is focused on families who live in underserved areas and have children in priority age groups for whom care is often the hardest to find. Indiana's new Child Care Expansion Grant program is a competitive, state-funded grant initiative to support providers in growing or repositioning their capacity. The ultimate goal is to increase the supply of available child care for children and families who often face the most hurdles in accessing care or those in the infant and toddler age group, where significant access gaps exist.
Through the grant program, eligible providers may apply for funding across two tracks:
Existing Site Expansion: Offering up to $200,000 per program to assist providers in adding or repositioning child care seats to prioritize expanding enrollment for CCDF and On My Way Pre-K families.
New Program Creation: Offering up to $750,000 per program to assist providers in establishing a new early childhood education program site.
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Register to Join SPARK Learning Lab
for Upcoming Trainings!
Register now to join SPARK Learning Lab for upcoming training opportunities during the month of April! Visit the SPARK Learning Lab training calendar for the full list of trainings.
Available online webinars and trainings:
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April 4 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. — Ball State University Scholarship Opportunity
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April 5 from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. — Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3)
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April 5 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. — Ask A Nurse Series
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April 12 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. — Keeping Children Safe: Systems for Supervision, Tracking, and Follow Through
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April 13 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. — Arts and Materials in Family Child Care
- April 13 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. — Using the CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early.
Available in-person trainings:
- April 6 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. — Lakeshore® Pyramid Model Part 2, in-person in Indianapolis, Indiana (meal provided)
- April 11 from 6:00 to 9:00pm — Lakeshore® Infant and Toddler Social-Emotional Learning, in-person in Westville, Indiana (meal provided)
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April 13 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. — Lakeshore® Self-Care - Strategies to Take Care of Yourself So You Can Care for Others, in-person in Denver, Indiana (meal provided)
See a full list of upcoming in-person trainings, live webinars, read training descriptions and find registration instructions by clicking the button below.
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It's the Week of the Young Hoosier Child!
Governor Eric Holcomb has officially proclaimed the week of April 1-7, 2023 as Week of the Young Hoosier Child!
This proclamation is part of the annual nationwide Week of the Young Child celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). This week provides an opportunity to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families, and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.
OECOSL is grateful to early childhood educators across the state who support crucial growth and development in our youngest Hoosiers each day.
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Learn with Peers and a SPARK Coach
SPARK Learning Cohorts are virtual coaching opportunities for programs to gain knowledge around various topics with the help of a coach and peers. Each cohort lasts 2-3 months and offers a great opportunity to learn and ask questions from a coach and a small group of colleagues.
SPARK cohorts are available for family child care, child care center or ministry owners/directors, administrators, principals, educational leadership individuals, and new program leaders.
Join us for one of these great opportunities beginning in April:
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Paths to QUALITY™: Learn with peers interested in the same PTQ Level! This cohort will focus on program self-assessment using the Readiness Checklist and will tie in applicable resources related to the different topic areas discussed.
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Accreditation: Programs will self-assess and create their own 'action plans' to implement what is discussed during this cohort. These cohort sessions apply material from the Accreditation Standards, tools from the Accrediting Body, and resources available that align with the topic areas discussed.
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Brighter Futures Solution Center is Moving!
Starting May 2023, services provided by the Brighter Futures Indiana Solution Center call center will be offered to families through Indiana 211 and to providers through SPARK Learning Lab. The services, which include referring families to care and offering assistance to providers, will still be available at no cost.
Families will be directed to Indiana 211 or their local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency for child care referral and other assistance they may need.
Providers will have centralized support through SPARK Learning Lab, which already maintains a provider Help Desk that connects them to training and technical assistance.
These changes are expected to take place May 1, 2023. Additional details will be provided in the coming weeks.
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Join INAEYC for CDA Resource Day in Fort Wayne
Are you a child care provider, early childhood teacher, or student currently preparing to apply for a Child Development Associate® credential? Join INAEYC for a free in-person training opportunity Saturday, April 15!
Participants will have an opportunity to walk through a mock Verification Visit with a Professional Development Specialist, learn how to apply for the credential with T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship assistance, and take a practice CDA Exam. A Competency Standards book will be provided.
Bring your collected training hours for review and alignment with the CDA Competency Areas, and any materials you'll need to begin organizing your portfolio. Please email hosman@inaeyc.org with questions or for more information. Registration is limited — reserve your spot now!
Saturday, April 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET
Ivy Tech Community College Coliseum Campus, Room 1625C
3800 N. Anthony Blvd. Fort Wayne, IN 46805
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Mental Health Matters Every Day!
The Calm App theme for April is minimizing stress. Gain some great sensory regulatory strategies to ward off stress or respond to it by checking out this resource from Revelations in Education.
You can also join one of these upcoming trainings on mental health, wellness, burnout, and self-care:
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